London man on terror charges

London man on terror charges

Wednesday 31 October 2001 12.51 EST
First published on Wednesday 31 October 2001 12.51 EST

A 38-year-old book publisher appeared in court in London yesterday charged with conspiracy to murder the leader of the Afghan Northern Alliance, Ahmad Shah Massoud.

Yasser Al-Siri, 38, who was arrested last week, also faced charges of inviting support for a banned Islamic extremist group, inciting racial hatred and raising money for terrorism.

He listened intently to his interpreter as five charges were put to him at the high security Belmarsh magistrates court in Woolwich. He spoke only once, through the interpreter, to confirm his name.

A bail application by his solicitor, Gareth Peirce, was refused and he was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on November 7.

Mr Al-Siri faces five charges - three under the Terrorism Act 2000, one under the Criminal Law Act 1977 and one under the Public Order Act 1986. He is charged under the Criminal Law Act that "on or before September 9 2001" he conspired "with others unknown to murder Ahmad Shah Massoud".

It is alleged that Mr Al-Siri, through his London-based Islamic Observation Centre, provided letters of accreditation for the two assassins who posed as journalists in order to gain access to Massoud in northern Afghanistan and blow him up, two days before September 11.

He is also accused of inviting support for a proscribed organisation, Al-Gamm'a Al-Islamiyya, inviting funds for the purpose of terrorism and making available property for the purposes of terrorism, and is charged under the Public Order Act with publishing 3,000 copies of a book calling for the killing of Jews.